


Together

by Maiihemm



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy, The Rise of Skywalker, star wars the rise of skywalker
Genre: Being Lost, Ben Solo Loves Rey, Ben Solo Needs A Hug, F/M, Force Bond (Star Wars), Kylo Ren Redemption, Lost Love, Love, One Shot, Redeemed Ben Solo, Rey Loves Ben Solo, Sad with a Happy Ending, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Spoilers, What-If
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-28
Updated: 2019-12-28
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:01:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21996427
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maiihemm/pseuds/Maiihemm
Summary: **TROS SPOILERS. DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THE MOVIE**Although the galaxy has been saved, Rey has never felt so alone.
Relationships: Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 2
Kudos: 36





	Together

**Author's Note:**

> I have been absolutely tormented by how Rey and Ben ended. Though I think it was poetic it also makes me incredibly sad. So, here is my mental way of fixing it so I can believe for a few minutes that everything is okay. It's a one shot but one of the million ways it could have ended so they actually got their happily ever after.

Rey didn’t stay anywhere for long. After she put Luke and Leia’s sabers where they belonged, she bounced from place to place. As much as she wanted to be around Finn and Poe, she just couldn’t do it. She was glad she was able to see them after everything was said and done. It gave her peace to know that they were safe and happy.

Finn had finally told her he was force sensitive. Part of her was surprised but mostly she just was happy for him. It meant he was never going to be alone no matter where his life may take him. Not that she ever though Poe would let him get very far away. Sure, Poe had a thing with Zorii who was actually alive, but Rey knew deep down the two had a love they never spoke of. She hoped that they would finally admit it to themselves and each other.

When she told them all she was leaving they were shocked. So many people were happy. They were embracing each other and crying tears of relief. There had been so much loss and death. So many people should have been there with them celebrating the end of the darkness.

Rey was probably the most aware of that. She tried to smile with everyone, but the truth was a large part of her had died. In reality all of her had died but for some reason it hurt more the way it ended. She had accepted that pushing that hard against her own grandfather may kill her. She gladly gave her life to save those she loved. She would have done anything.

The true reason she couldn’t be around those she cared about was because she couldn’t get Ben out of her mind. She tried meditating. She tried screaming and crying begging for it to stop. She pleaded with the universe in hopes that she would be struck down just to be rid of the pain. There was nothing more tortuous than finally holding the one person you were literally made for and losing them just seconds later.

She didn’t actually want to die though. No. She wanted Ben back. She desperately wanted to feel him again. She had always wondered what it would be like to be held by him and to hold him in return. What she didn’t know was how mesmerizing his smile would be. When he had smiled fully and without restraint, she felt happiness like she didn’t even know existed. It had been perfect. For years she pined and hoped that he would come to her, if even just for a few moments.

Now she cursed herself for only asking for a few moments. It wasn’t nearly enough. She wasn’t able to tell him how much shared for him. He never got to hear her true feelings verbalized or to thank him for saving her life. He had given up everything for her.

She didn’t want to be ungrateful for his sacrifice. There was never anything she could ever to do repay him or his legacy. The only thing she knew for sure was how much it hurt to watch the light fade from his eyes the first time she ever really saw it.

She sat by the lake on a random planet she picked with a blanket wrapped around her. The books that she had taken from Luke were piled next to her. There was a lot of information in them but nothing about Dyads.

“Not that it matters anyway. It couldn’t save you. What use did the force have making us for each other if now I have to learn to live without you.”

Rey sniffled and pinched the bridge of her nose. She was tired of crying and even more tired of talking to herself. She sometimes wondered if it would be worth letting her friends know where she was just for the company, but none of them would understand that half of her was missing.

“I wondered how long it would take for you to reach out into our bond.”

Rey jumped to her feet and whipped around, hand on her new saber. She gasped and let the blanket fall to the ground. In front of her was a blue outline that slowly started to come into focus.

“You watched me disappear, Rey. Did you think I wouldn’t be able to come back like the rest?”

“I- Ben?”

He came fully into focus and he was smiling at her. Not his full smile but absolutely the side grin her inherited from his father. He had his hands in his pockets and looked relaxed.

“Oh, Ben. I- I didn’t think I would ever see you again. I thought I would forget what your voice sounds like.”

He motioned for her to sit down as he moved next to her. He flicked his wrist and the blanket wrapped around her shoulders. She hugged it to herself and fought hard not to cry.

“You aren’t going to find anything in there about Dyads. It was too rare. We are the third in the history of everything.”

“Are? Ben you’re.. its different now.”

“I’m not physically here, Rey. That is true. It doesn’t change our bond though. It doesn’t change that the force created us for each other. There was a lot of time that we were both manipulated and at odds, but the force always knew what we are to each other.”

“None of this is fair.”

He chuckled and gave her a sad smile.

“You’re right.”

“Why did you do it?”

“The last time you asked me that it was for a much different reason.”

Rey stifled a sob and brought the blanket up to her face.

“After you left, it was like my heart broke all over again. You were able to kill the mighty Kylo Ren. The Supreme Leader of the First Order.”

“I didn’t mean to.”

“I know that. You healed me but your words shattered me. All that time I thought you just didn’t want me. I never felt good enough.”

“Good enough? What a ridiculous thing to think! I was nothing but a scavenger.”

“Even when we thought that was the truth, you were _never_ nothing to me.”

He looked at her with the same intensity that she was used to. She nodded and played with the frayed edge of the blanket.

“I saw Han Solo after you left. I saw my dad.”

She whipped her head up and looked at him.

“I don’t think he was actually there. I think he was just a memory. A ghost. He told me that even though my mother was gone that those she cared about weren’t. She died to bring me back.”

“She loved you so much.”

“I wish I had seen that sooner.”

“Have you seen her? You’re all part of the force now.”

He gave her a soft smile and nodded.

“Yeah. She was the first person I saw the moment I faded. The first thing she told me was how proud she was of me. Those were the words I had been yearning for my whole life.”

“I’m glad that you have her. I miss her.”

“She watches you all the time, you know. She wants to keep an eye on you.”

“I feel her sometimes. It hurts though. E-everything reminds me of you, Ben. There isn’t a single thing that I see or do that doesn’t make me wish you were next to me.”

“Is that why you call yourself Rey Skywalker?”

She nodded and sniffled again.

“That and to keep all of your memories alive. I couldn’t let Palpatine make the galaxy forget all of you. I couldn’t let that legacy die with you.”

“Though if I were still physically with you, I would hope your name would be a different one, I appreciate you keeping that all alive.”

“Even though he’s dead I still lost.”

“Hey, please look at me.”

Rey looked into his eyes and felt the tears streaming down her face.

“I couldn’t let you die, Rey. Everything good in the galaxy that I could see was because of you. I would give anything to be here with you physically. I cherish the fact I could hold you and see your beautiful smile so closely. But I would not let the galaxy be without you. I couldn’t.”

“But now I’m without you. I feel like half of me is just gone. It physically hurts all the time. It doesn’t matter how much time passes, I’m incomplete without you.”

“I’m still here. Our bond is still very much alive, Rey. You saved the galaxy. You didn’t need anyone or anything. You killed the most evil the galaxy has ever seen without anyone else. The least I could do was give you your life back.”

“It’s no life being alone.”

“Then go back to your friends. They still love you.”

“I can’t face them! I can’t go there this broken and have them understand that I am _never_ going to be okay again. I haven’t smiled since I looked in your eyes, not really. It’s easy to fake it and pretend like im okay during the day. But when the night sets in and I’m constantly reminded that I am so _utterly alone_ I can’t stand it. I know a lot of this is “what if” but I knew deep down the moment I saw Ben was back, that you were back, that I was holding my entire future in my hands. It wouldn’t have been easy and we probably would have ended up on a planet like this alone, but we would have been _together_.”

“I never would have let you go, Rey.”

“I know. And I would have been so happy.”

She smiled through tears at him and she swore it looked like he was crying too. They sat in silence as the breeze gently rustled the vegetation around them.

“Why did you choose here?”

“It just felt right, I guess.”

“Every place you have gone to has been a strong point in the force. You’re finding comfort in the force even though you didn’t know.”

She let out a shaky laugh and looked down at his hand next to her. He was leaning back slightly with his long legs crossed in front of him. She smiled at him.

“If I tried to touch you would my hand just go through.”

“Yes. You can’t physically feel the force, remember?”

“I know. How long can you stay?”

“You need to sleep.”

“I don’t really sleep anymore.”

“I can come back when you wake.”

“No!”

She grasped for his hand even though she knew it would do nothing.

“Please don’t go.”

Surprise washed over his face and she felt ashamed of her outburst.

“I’m sorry. I know I am sounding needy I just-“

“Rey.”

“What?”

She felt pressure on her hand, so she looked down. Half of his arm was coming into focus and it looked real. He squeezed her hand as it spread up his arm. She watched as his physical form manifested in front of her.

“What is happening?”

“I don’t know.”

They sat in stunned silence as his force silhouette turned to flesh. Rey pulled his hand away from him and reached for his face. She gently touched his face and a smile spread across both of their faces. She moved towards him just as much as he was pulling her closer. They wrapped their arms around each other as they cried.

“How is this possible?”

“Maybe it’s the Dyad? Yoda.. I’m not sure if you know him but.. he was the only one who knew of the Dyad but he wouldn’t say much to me. He just kept telling me that the force does everything for a reason.”

“This is incredible.”

He nodded and wrapped one of his arms around her waist.

“Are you feeling okay? Tell me you aren’t feeling weak or drained.”

“No. No I just feel you.”

She leaned forward and kissed him again. She felt whole inside his arms just like when he had brought her back to life. She clutched to him, afraid that he would slip through her fingers again.

“Did you mean it?”

“What?”

“That you would never let go.”

“I meant every word, Rey. I don’t know what happened. I don’t know how I am so lucky to get this chance. I don’t know why the force chose me for you, but I am _never_ letting you go.”

“I love you, Ben.”

He laughed and cradled her face in his hands.

“My father always answered that statement with a smirk and “I know”, but I have waited so long to hear you say it and even longer to say it in return. I love you, Rey. I loved you as Kylo Ren, Ben Solo and even as a force ghost.”

They laughed together through tears.

“I love you now even more and now I plan on spending the rest of however long I have left alive making sure you know it. If you’ll have me.”

“You aren’t going anywhere, Solo. Not without me. Never again.”

The force hummed around them as they embraced. Neither of them were sure how it happened but neither of them were going to waste the chance they had been given. They had been made for each other and no matter what, they were going to make that happen. The past didn’t matter. There was nothing they couldn’t face together.


End file.
